Thermostatic wafer



J. F. RALEIGH THERMOSTAmIC WAFER Jan. 4 1927. 17,613,292

Filed Maren 16. 1925 c@ if 56 /Z y 27 lil mental .15.4, 1927.

UNITED s 'rar-Es` PATENT-f :rms F1 Bannion, for Rrr/En ronnsr, ILLINOIS,Assic'rron 'ro rINEs WINrEnrnoNr COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ACORPORATION OF IDIElLIAlVRE.A

'riannmosrnmrc wanna. I

y Application mea marca 16, 1925. serial Np. 16,096.

My invention relates to thermostatic wafers 'of the Atype havingextensive' usev in thermostatically-controlled radiator shutters, and inother mechanisms where thermal responsive means is employed to govern avalve, operate a shutter or to perform any v other controlling oroperatingfuiction.-

One ofthe'principal objects of the invenltion is Ito provide. amechanically pressed joint between the two halves of thewafer,

` in addition to the soldered joint which is I this iiexure withoutendangering the 'her-.

usually provided between these wafer halves, for perfecting the hermeticseal of the Wafer. A further object of the invention n is )to increasethe freedom of laterahexure of.

the side wallsof the wafercand the range of metio seal at the peripheryofthe wafer.

Referring to the accompanying drawing Figure 2 isan edge view of one ofrthe.

original blanks;

, Figure 3 1s a 4sectional view of vthe two completel formed shells orhalves of the .wafer be ore assembling; i f

Figure 4 is a sectional view through the Y wafer after assembly of thehalves, but be fore the periphery has 'been creased and soldered; and

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional v1ew of the completed wafer.

For illustrating a typical use of these thermostatic wafers, I haveshown' in Figure 1the upper-portion of a popular type of radiatorshutteri attachment now on the market which employs these' wafers formechanically opening or closing aplurality of shutter devicescontrollingthe air-circulating flow through the radiator, in accordance with thetemperature of -the radiator.J Sucl a radiator shutter is disclosed inmy prior Patent No. 1,393,161, dated October 11, 1921. y

One of the frame members ofthe device supports a heat-conducting plate 6which isadapted to contact withthe radiator core and this plate hassupporting lugs or-other supporting means for mounting one or morewafers 8. `There are usually two or more vof these wafers provided, theinnermost one l,contacting with the heat-conducting plate 6 andtheoutermost one bearing against a pallet 7 which transmits the cumulativeexpansion of the series of wafers through link- 1 age, generallydesignatedS, to the radiator. shutters. Heat-conducting spacers 11 aresusually interposed betweeny the wafers.

f Referring now to the improved construction of the present wafer, itwill be observed from Figure 2 tha-tithe wafer is built up of two shells0r diaphragmwalls 12 and 13,

each fhaving laterallyextending flanges 12 `and 13,-respectively. Theshells or lda- `phragms lare substantial duplicates, except that oneshell 12 is of slightly smaller diameter to nest its .fiange12 snuglywithin the othershell'. Y. if, v Y

'Heretofore, in the construction oft-bese wafers, the solderingoperation has been performed' with the shells `merely nested togetl1er,.a`s shown in Figure 4:. The solder which is applied around thejoint lltbetweeny y ythe two flanges. will oftentimes merelycoverV thisjoint.. with a relatively thin lilm of solder. In theparticular usage towhich these wafersgare applied, the expanding ether in the waferwill'create a considerable pressure tending to separate thetwo shellsthe solder. is-thn it will sometimes crack, allowing'the hermetic Asealto break down.

I have obviated this diliiculty by reenforcing.

'and the flexture of the side walls will also thel soldered joint with amechanically l `pressed joint which carries these stresses and which als.maintains the opposing surfaces of the flanges 12 and 13 in closeengagement so that` solder flowing. therebetween can solder. the twoflanges together across their entire widths.- 'f In securing the twoshellstogetheraccording to the present invention7 the telescoping anges12 and 13', afterv being nested, are subjected to an operation whichproduces a mechanically pressed joint between `the flanges. Thisoperation is a creasing or grooving operation performed on the outer`periphery of the wafer, during which lateral pressure is concurrentlyplaced on the peripheries of the wafer shells for pressing the twoshells together. The lateral pressure locks the edge 16 of the innermostflange 12 in the corner between the side Wall be deflected inwardly(such as'it would do if its outer edge were free), but will compel thisinner flange to assume the curve of the outer flange, substantially asindicated by the'annulargroove depression 18. Becausev both flanges musttake this groovedformation, a close mechanical joint is secured acrossthe` entire width. of the fianges and i also at the point where the edge16 is pressed into the inner corner of the outer flange 13. Lateralpressure ma be employed to slightly bevel or round .t e outer corners ofthe wafer, this rounding operation' tending to roll the edge'19 of theouter flange inwardl over the side of the other shell 12. i

The next operation isto solder' this seamed orgrooved joint between thetwo shells by dipping or turning the periphery of the wafer in hotsolder. the joint .occurring at vthe edge 19, as indicated by the solder21, and will enter in between the two flangcs`12 and 13', therebysealing these flanges vacross their entire.

width.. After this hermetic seal has been completed, the Wafer ischarged with ether, or any other vsuitable fluid or gas, through a smallhole in-one ofthe shells, which is then closed by a drop of solder.

Supplementary to this practice of forming a mechanically pressed jointbetween thel flanges, I contemplate forming an annular in the operationof formin the shell) for confining the flexure of the l ia hragmwall tothe central part of the wa er. By the groove or bead 224m the f ace ofeach shell provision of these beads or groovesthe `in-l g ward andoutward. flexure of the two s1de.

walls of the shells will extend out to the annular grooves orbeads 14,with practically no deflection of the metal from the groove or bead outto the soldered joint. Hence,

'there will be practically no tendency to loosen or crack this solderedjoint as a re'- sult of the fiexure of'the shell walls.` Thev presenceof the grooves lor bead 22 also permits a greater range of flexure ofeach shell wall in the expansion and contraction ofthe Wafer underchange ofv temperature.

Having described my invention, what I claimis: v 'j I 1. A lthermal cellcomprising a pair of side members provided with marginal This lsolderwill seal Yamazes flanges, disposed one within the other, said fiangesconcavo-convex with the concave surface of one flange embracing thecon-- vex surface of the other flange. j

"2..A thermal cell including a pair of sheet metal shells, eachcomprising a flanged disc, the flanges of said discs being nested onewithin the other with the inner flange disposed edgcwise against thedisc by which the outer flange 1s carried, said anges beingconcavo-convex'with the concave surface of,

.the inner flange embracing `the convex sur- 5. A'thermahcell comprisinga pair of side members joined together, the contacting surfaces of thevsidemembers being concavoconvex With the convex surface of one mem-lber receivedby and soldered to the concavesurface of the other member.

6. In a thermostatic w\afer, the combina' Ation of a pair of shells,flanges on said shells. nesting one within the other, said 'flangesbeing grooved inwardly whereby they arefboth curved concentricall acrosstheir entire width, solder sealing t e joint,

"and an annular groove formed in each of said shells adjacent itsflange.

7. The method of joining` a pair of flangedside membersof a thermal cellwhich consists in ynesting the flanges `of the side members one withintheother, pressing the side members to ether and simultaneously formininterloc ing deformations in said nested anges.

8. The -method of joining a' pair of flanged side members' of athermalcell which vconsists in nesting the flanges of the 'said Sidemembers one Within the other, forming :interlocking deformationsin saidnested flanges and solder sealing Ithe joint..

"los

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 11th day of March,1925.

l.LarnasiaRALEIeiI.

